Float-arm mounting



sept. 14,1926. 1,600,162 V v L. W-*BROWNE I A FLOATv ARM MOUNTING Filed May 15, 1926 NH' y/ I6 w l y Patented Sept. 14, 1926.

UNITED. sra'rlasA LYLE W. BROWNE, OF

MBSHALLTGYVN. IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO THE FISHER GOVERNOR contrary, or MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa.

FLOAT-ABM, MOUNTING.

Application filed May 15,

More vparticularly it is my obj ect. to provide a float arm mounting having parts so constructed and arranged as to make possible the easy, convenient and quick assembly or disassembly of the parts of the mounting.

' Still a further object. is to provide sut-i a mountingI whereby the float arm may be mounted in a casing and provided with a shaft or the like extending through the casing wall and rotatably mounted therein` at right angles to the arm or actuating mechanism outside the casing with a mimmum of binding or. friction among the .parts lVith these and other objects in view, myy invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a. float arm casing and float arm mounting embodyinpr my invention.

F igure 2 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l, the float arm, the shaft and one of the bearings being shown in plan.

" Figure 8 is a detailed sectional view of' the parts of the mounting taken on the same section line.v

My float arm mounting" is used in a considerable variety of installations. For illustration, it is used sometimes in float 'structures of the kind shown in my prior application, Serial Number 3,766, Filed January 21, 1925.

My float arm structure is used ordinarily in connection with mechanisms wherein a float is employed 'to operate or control a valve for maintaining liquid at a predetermined levelin a tank orthe' like. For instance, in oil fields where the oil and gas coming from a well are conducted into a tank, it is desirable that the oil be maintained at a certain level in' the tank, so that the oil can be taken oil through one pipe and the gas taken off throughanothei" 1926. Serial No, 108,412.

tion of oil and gas. In accomplishing this purpose, itl is a rather common practice to provide a lfloat adapted to rest on the oil and to control the' oil outlet valve from this float. This practice involves the necessity of providing the float with an arm, connecting the arm with a shaft, extending the shaft through the wall of the float chamber and connecting the outside of the chamber with the valve located at some distance from the float arm chamber.

In the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate generally a loat chamber having the upper and lower ports 11 and 12 which are designed to be connected with a tank'or the like respectively above and below the liquid In the float chan'iber 1() is a oat'18- which may have the form of a hollow cop per ball. ripherally communicating with .the interior thereof is a tubular float arm 1,9. A tubular shaft 20 extends through the Wall of the float armjcasinp; 16 andA is connected with the iloat arm 19. Thus, when the float 18 is raised or lowered, the rocking of the shaft I 20 actuates mechanism not here shown, for

controlling the valve not shown.

Connecting with the float 18, pel The general arrangement of1 a structure of this kind in which the shaft 2O is arranged at right. angles to the arm 19 and ex tends through the wall of the float arml casing, involves a number of diiculties in4 practical manufacture, installation, and use.

It is ot' great importance that the float ,should Work freely and accurately. If4 it fails to vwork properly, even for a short time. losses in connection with'the handling.

oi the profits from an oil well may become very substantial. Similarly :substantial losses might occur if the process of repair.

ing or replacing the float arm structure or parts thereof should be slow' or diicult. I have endeavored to meet the problems thus mrescues involved in theioat armstructure herein disclosed which l will now l,describe in greater detail'.v -1

/Tlie shai'tQ() is tubular and has at its rinner end, an enlargedportion terminatiiig in a spindle 20". The tubular float' arm .19 screws into the enlarged portion 20a of the shaft 20 and communicates with the interior thereof Where the tubular float arm land tubular. shaft are used and connected' -in the ri'ianner just described.. Shots can he drop ed into the shaft 20 and passed into the oat 18 for varying the Weight thereof in the manner and -for the purposes dis.- closed in my prior. application mentioned above.

femerges :trein the casing 16, a 'tight joint Screwedinto one .side ol: the tient erin casing i6 is e. nut 2l. having; o rece-.ss 22 in its inner face. Received in the recess 22 is a hellnbearing assembly 23 which receives snd'suppoets the spindle 20mn-s shown in Figure 2. pposite the rece. 22 the inner face or wall of the casing is pro vided with a recess 24 inwhicli is mounted a ball thrust bearing -25 `through which the shaft 20 is projected. 'Where the she/ft2() is provided by means o e, 4pecking gland 26, packing 27 and stud-bolts 28.

It is difficult, I have found, to insure the certain und easy actuation 4or rotation of the shaiity 20. Frequently there is considyerable .pressure in the float chamber, end

float arm easing. lnspite ot care in providing bearings, there is pressure against the yinner end of the' shaft 20, ltending'to l move it longitudinally in the direction in clicated by the arrow in Figure 2.. This, of course, 'causes some tendono to hind. The ,shaft is ordinarily used Witi an arm or le ver et its outer end. y

it will thus Vbe seen that such lever and the iloat erm.' 19 form cranks and*y that the transmission of motion from lone to the other also has u tendency to cause the float arm mounting to bind. 'It doesnt take very much tendency to bind to interfere with lthe smooth and accurate operation of the Hoet and the valve operated by it. lt 'is therefore highly desirable to eliminate any binding as lar as possible. lt is necessary at the saine time to 'ineke access to the float ,arm parts easy.

For this purpose I have. provided the screw plug- 21 which carries the ball bearing assembly 23. It will be seen that the screw plug 21 .may be quickly and easily inserted or taken out. lt is thus easy to have access tothe hall bearing; 23 and to withdrew the shaft 20 includingfthe en lai-ged portion QOHNthereof. The enlarged portion 2G forms a shoulder Which'helps to hold the ball bearing assembly 23 in posi tion. lThe thrust bearing 25 is mounted in the recess 2l on the interior of the casing 16 opposite the screw plug 21..'The thrust bearing 25 may loe installed or removed through the opening for the screw `plug 2li" The 4end of the enlarged portion QQ .forms a shoulder for holding the thrust bearing,Y 25 in position.

' ln the installation of. niyilcet arm mount-7 through the opening` for the plug 2l and through the opening 29 in the wall of the casing 3.6 until the thrust bearing. 25 is received in the recess 2li. The ball hearing assembly 23 is then placed inthe recess 22 und the plug 2l is screwed into place. As

the plug 2l moves into place 'the-spindle 20h Will enter the bell bearing assembly 23.

The pecking 2i' is then put in and the gland 26 instell/ed. The erm .wie tlien'screwed into the enlarged portion 20 of the shaft 2li end thereafter the float arm casing i6 is bolted tothe iioat che .eher i0.

'll believe `that l have provided in. my present doet erin mounting a combine-tion which hes never before been used in a like assembly end which involves substantial adventages in providing a structure adapted for use where the movement of the loat must be Leccurately transmit-ted with e, ininmum of frictionnnd loss ci power to a valve or othermechanisin.

While l heveyshown my lloat erin mounting assembled in a structure similar to that of niy prior application hereiniiefore inentioned, it is my intention to cover by my claims any 'form of structure invvhich foy mounting might be used in connection with a i'ioat and s1 mechanism actuated therefrom.

l'cleirn' as' my invention;

ln a device of the class described, the combination oiE e. floatl chamber, e. tapered float arm casing detecheiily mounted on said chamber, a shaft projected through a Wall of the float ami casing and having an en* larged portion. within the casing, scid lcasinghaving recess on itsinterior, a thrust bearing' receivin said shett and mounted. in. said recess adjacent to said enlarged portion, ascrew plug mounted in the wall of said vcasing;- having a recess at its inner end, amanti-friction assembly. in said last recess, said shaft having a spindle at one end of said enlarged portion received in end Supl ported by said anti-friction assembly.

2. ln* a device of the class described, a floatarrn casing having neer one end an opening through its wall, said opening hav- Iing an enlarged portion et its inner end, e thrust bearing structure received in said. enlarged portion, said opening being formed l with an enlarged portion et itsouter end,

a `packing gland projected into said `last named enlarged portion, a screw plug tiel) Mill devices nn 4,fsuggorted by the secon bearing device and TB mounted inV the wall of said site s aid .beari'g and 'having al Arecess init's i11ner.face` an antifriction bearing assembly received in-the' Saidjecess, jected through the said opening and saidpackng gland, said shaft having within the fruslng an enlarged portiony arrangedV with.

its ends ad'gzcent,y to Vthe res ctive bearin having a s ind e receivedn at arm connected with said enlarged Portion of the shaft.

causing DDR0-,

connected with said a shaft pro- 3. In a structure of vthe class described, e

Host arm casing, a. float arm therein, a shaft Aarm and projectin through one wall of said casing, s aidsha having an enlargedl portion within the casing, e thrust bearing interposed between said enlarged portion and the` Wall of the .Casin through which the shat emer es and a .ba beanng for mounting theslaf in the other side.. of the-'casing LYLE W. BROWN E. 

